Photos of Orlando Bloom paddle boarding in the nude were published yesterday, prompting the internet gave a collective “WOW!”
To some, it appeared to be a harmless photo of a good-looking actor enjoying himself on holiday.
To others, it was a clear invasion of privacy, and those photos never should have seen the light of day.
The thing is, Bloom wasn’t photographed in his hotel room, or somewhere where he expects a reasonable amount of protection.
This was out on the ocean, and Bloom was paddling along with girlfriend Katy Perry at the helm of his board.
A post on Bustle deemed this a glaring example of the double-standard when it comes to nude photos. Had this been a woman, the writer argues, the internet would have been up in arms.
To be fair, Bloom did not consent to the release of these photos.
On the other hand, he’s stark naked in broad daylight. On the ocean.
Bloom’s 2013 interview with Elle was referenced, in which the British actor got candid about his preference for being nudity after filming Zulu, which he said he had to get in (naked) shape for. All of a sudden, he didn’t mind walking around stark naked.
“I got so comfortable [being naked]… It is what it is. It’s flesh and bone. It’s all we are,” he explained.
The photos spurred a slew of funny GIFs, most of which were complimentary of the actor’s…assets? Yes, as a woman I should know better, and should be angry that this is violating someone and we shouldn’t be oogling someone’s body parts.
Yet, at the end of the day, it was more or less a celebration of some guy who enjoys the paddle boarding in the nude, and who doesn’t seem to care that he could very well end up on the front page of a newspaper.
And for those of you who still feel the need to oogle, uncensored photos are still on the interweb.
